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While Belgium continues to face a reception crisis, ongoing since the summer of 2021, the latest figures from Fedasil show that the number of places for asylum seekers made available by municipalities continues to decrease.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: local reception initiative, reception crisis, housing shortage
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As of 7 January 2025, 160 additional emergency shelter places are made available for homeless people sleeping on the streets in the Brussels Capital Region, supplementing the existing 2.600 places within the Brussels unhoused shelter network. The emergency shelter places are open to all homeless people, regardless of residence status.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: homeless shelter, extreme cold plan, homelessness
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The UK Home Office released provisional figures showing that more than 36.000 people were detected in 2024, making the crossing of the English Channel in small boats. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that at least 78 migrants died trying to cross the Channel in 2024.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: English channel, illegal border crossing, small boat
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In London, the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and Belgium, in the presence of the European Commission and its agencies, Europol and Frontex, agreed on a five-point priority plan to tackle irregular migration and migrant smuggling in 2025. Key priorities include targeting illicit financial flows that sustain smuggling networks and tackling organised crime groups' use of social media to recruit and advertise dangerous journeys across Europe and the Channel.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: Calais Group, irregular migration, English channel, smuggling network, action plan
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As of 9 December 2024, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons will temporarily suspend processing cases of applicants originating from Syria. Planned personal interviews will be cancelled and assessments will be temporarily put on hold.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: application for international protection, Syria
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From 9 December 2024 until 8 June 2025, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee will conduct temporary checks at its borders with Belgium and Germany to, among other things, stem irregular immigration into the country and combat migrant smuggling. Travellers intending to cross the border are advised to carry their ID documents with them.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: internal border control, Schengen borders code
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On the occasion of International Volunteer Day, Fedasil highlights the importance of volunteers who give their time to residents in reception centres and of sponsors who create links with these residents outside of the centres. If you have free time, join them and contact a reception centre in your neighbourhood!
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, volunteer
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The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration has announced that she would use all possible means to reduce the number of applications from persons who already have protection in another EU Member State. She intends to oppose the Council for Aliens Law Litigation's rulings leading to the admissibility of these applications and the recognition of a protected status.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: applicant for international protection, refugee, protection status
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The Federal Public Service Justice is currently able to assign a guardian to an unaccompanied foreign minor within the normal period of 8 weeks. However, the demand for guardians remains high in Limburg, Antwerp and Brussels, and the Guardianship Service is still urgently looking for additional guardians.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, guardianship
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According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.048 persons obtained Belgian nationality in August 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in August are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Italy and France.
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Main theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
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Fedasil announced that the Belgian reception network has now a higher capacity than that recorded during the asylum crisis of 2015-2016. However, this capacity is insufficient to accommodate all applicants for international protection who are entitled to reception. At present, 2.650 single men are still on the waiting list for a reception place.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception capacity, reception centre, shortage
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Fedasil announced that it can temporarily make use of centres in Bredene (Flanders) and in Theux (Wallonia) to accommodate applicants for international protection until March 2025. Both sites have already been used by Fedasil in the past, each time for a period of a few months.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception capacity, reception centre, shortage
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France notified that controls would take place at its borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Swiss Confederation, Italy, and Spain (land, air, and sea) from 1 November 2024 until 30 April 2024. Similar checks were already underway between 1 May 2024 and 31 October 2024 due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games organised in France during the summer 2024.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: Schengen, internal border control, border control, border check
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Nicole de Moor said that applications relating to 859 persons have already been processed in accelerated procedure since February 2024. In 96 % of cases, applicants were not granted protection status. Ms de Moor wants to focus more on prevention to prevent people who do not need protection from applying for international protection in Belgium.
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As of 24 October 2024, the centre for registering applications for international protection is located at rue Belliard 68 in 1000 Brussels. Applications can still be registered in the Pacheco building until Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: applicant for international protection, registration, registration centre
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According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.806 persons obtained Belgian nationality in July 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in July are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Afghanistan and Italy.
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Main theme: Data & Statistics
Keywords: access to nationality, Belgian nationality
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Fedasil has a budget for financing specific projects relating to the reception of asylum seekers (and other reception beneficiaries). The Agency has launched its call for projects for the year 2025. In 2025, the focus will be on projects that focus on support, activation, and housing.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: call for projects, applicant for international protection, support, activation, housing
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In a non-paper, seventeen European countries called on the European Commission to submit a new proposal for more effective returns. The letter emphasises the need for a stricter EU return system with clearer obligations for cooperation from the returnees and less interpretation by the European Court of Justice.
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Main theme: Return & Readmission
Keywords: effective return
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The Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS) announced on 2 October 2024 that the notification of decisions granting or refusing subsidiary protection status to applicants from Lebanon is suspended until the CGRS has sufficient objective information to assess the security situation in Lebanon.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: applicant for international protection, Lebanon, refugee status, subsidiary protection status
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On 1 October 2024, Nicole de Moor stated that proportionally speaking, more Palestinian applicants for international protection come to Belgium than to other European Member States. She also confirmed that the protection rate for Palestinian applicants had increased in recent years.
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Main theme: International Protection
Keywords: Palestinian, applicant for international protection, New Pact on Migration and Asylum
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Checks are being temporarily reintroduced at Germany's borders with Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Denmark. They will run from 16 September 2024 until 15 March 2025 to, among other things, reduce irregular migration and combat people smuggling.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Keywords: border control, border check, Schengen, internal border control
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In a press release from 9 September 2024, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor reacted to the Hungarian government’s recent threats to send migrants to Brussels. She advocated for a joint, coordinated policy, in which respect for European values and international obligations are central.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: migration instrumentalization, European cooperation, mutual trust
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Due to the sharp rise in applications for the equivalence of foreign diplomas in Flanders and the time- and labour-intensive investigations involved, waiting times can reach seven months. This impacts the integration of migrants into the labour market.
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Main theme: Integration
Keywords: recognition of qualifications, diploma, equivalence
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Students, who were originally from Syria and Congo before becoming refugees in Egypt and Uganda, have the opportunity to start this new academic year in Belgian universities thanks to the legal and sustainable migration pathway offered by the university corridors.
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Main theme: Study § Training
Keywords: university corridor, legal pathway, refugee
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The Walloon administration announces that new regulations come into force on 1 September 2024 regarding salaried economic migration for foreign workers in Wallonia. The system remains largely unchanged in its principles, still falling within the broader framework of the Single Permit for work and residence authorization for foreign workers. However, a new decree of the Walloon Government organizes new features and modifications.